"It is very worrying that Sudan is again interested in becoming chair of the AU when it is continuing to commit gross human rights violations in Darfur and is failing to cooperate fully with UNAMID --the U.N.-AU hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur," Olaniyan said in a statement.

Sudan failed in its bids for the AU presidency in 2006 and 2007 because of the government's targeting of civilians and blocking of peacekeeping operations necessary to protect civilians, Amnesty International said.